Japanese Tire giant in America revitalizing product lines

United States: Bridgestone America is going to replace Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500 and Wide Oval AS lines with the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 ultra-high-performance (UHP) and Firehawk AS all-season high-performance lines.

As per the company, the newly introduced Firehawk Indy 500 summer UHP tire is designed with an advance tread compound as well as wider blocks of shoulder for enhanced manoeuvrability and handling in dry conditions. Besides that, the tire is also deployed with “Pulse Groove” technology for improved resistance to offer a 20% shorter braking distance in the wet weather condition.

While stating the feature of the new tire, the company described that the design of new Firehawk as “consumer tire extensions” of the previously launched Firehawk tires, which were earlier used in the Verizon IndyCar Series.

As per Philip Dobbs, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, “Racing is an integral part of the Firestone brand's heritage and the ultimate proof point for our tire technology”.

On the other hand, the Firehawk AS is designed with an advance grip to operate in wet, dry and snowy conditions, as explained by Bridgestone.

However, the Firehawk Indy 500 tire is currently available in 48 sizes, ranging from 16-20 inch rim diameters, while the Firehawk AS tire is available in 30 varied sizes, ranging from 15-20 inch.

According to a recent report published by Techsci Research, “United States Tyre Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2020”, the country’s automotive market is the second largest market across the globe, with a motorization rate (including passenger cars and commercial vehicles) of over 79% (per 100 individuals), as of 2015. Increasing disposable income due to strengthening US Dollar, falling oil and food prices, and rising standard of living, are resulting in an increase in production and sales of vehicles in the US. Steady growth in sales and production of automobiles, expanding automobile fleet, and favorable government policies, are anticipated to propel growth in the US tire market over the next five years. Vehicle fleet in the US is dominated by passenger cars, as a result of which, the country’s tire market is dominated by passenger car tire segment.

As per TechSci Research, the decision will help the organization to penetrate the target market better, with better customer satisfaction and with improved brand image in the mind of the customer.